On my earlier post, the acute situation, I sent a patient to the hospital after having CVA, ride side or hjerneslag, høyre side. Yesterday I found out that that particular patient died in the hospital through her obituary published in the local newspaper. I was saddened by the fact that she didn't make it... but hey, better than not doing anything for her at all. I have failed to mention that that fateful day when she had the CVA, there were 3 nurses on duty. The LVNs on that ward ringed me last because the first nurse was busy, the second refused to heed the call for help because, later that day, I met her on the medicine room and she told me that she didn't see the need to send the patient to the hospital because she was already 90+ years old was going to die anyway. Why send her and the hospital will just waste thousands of money on saving an already hopeless case? Well I didn't care to argue with her... I saw her point but I didn't insist my point to her that we are NURSES. We swore to advocate for our patient's best interest and even though, I know she was going to die anytime soon, we don't have the right to deny her the right to be sent to the hospital. And think about the family? Do you want you mom or dad just die there without doing anything? Plus who are we to decide the fate of our elder patients? It's not easy...weighing these things. 

Birthday Party Part 2

Hurraahhh! Second birthday party for me! These are some of my dear, dear friends here in Norway. And we had sooooo much fun that night! Good thing that my landlord was having their vacation in Spain and we have the whole house for ourselves! Wit woo! We're so like maingay! Plus Videoke Galore.. non-stop! Jared (the only guy) and Evelyn (the girl sitting behind me) will soon host a dinner party soon.. when? I don't know but I'm definitely going. (To those who don't know me, I'm the one with the white cardigan)

Plus, plus.... I am sooo happy that night because..... hahahaha  Anyway, I found out also that we create so much noise that Evelyn's Norwegian husband didn't have any difficulty tracking which house we are in, when he drove to fetch her... hahaha. Are we really that noisy? or the Norwegians are just used to peace and quiet? 

2nd Birthday Celebration here in Norway

Ok... my age is out of question but today's my birthday!! And what better way to celebrate this day than waking up early in the morning and going to work..Yes.. I WORKED today. Not that I didn't like it... it's just new to me. I'm used to having those party's and handaan back home in Pinas.. but here, all you get is tusenvis av Gratulerer med dagen!! (Thousands of Happy Birthday greetings!) Well Not that I am complaining. One weird Norwegian custom here ( well, I'm weirded out because I'm still Pinoy at heart but I actually liked this custom) is when one is celebrating his birthday, his or her friends or family comes over to her place with food and drinks. Actually, not only during birthdays, but when Norwegian have gatherings, usually they bring food and drinks with them and then take them home if there are leftovers. hahaha Talk about being kuripot but they are indeed very practical and thrifty people. While in Pinas, it's the other way round... And that's what I got this day!! hahaha Well after work, My aunt, cousin and his family, and two friends from Nannestad came over here at my pad and brought the entire kitchen! haha Well, we had Pancit, Salad and Tempura then 3 kinds of cake for coffee/tea after the meal. (carrot cake, cheesecake and rice cake) I was like... hahaha is this cool or what?? haha Super thanks talaga to Nannestad peeps! 

The right term from "manlibre" in norwegian is "spandere"... So although most of you know "gratis" as "libre" or free,or without charge in English but the appropriate term is spandere. Anyway, I will make libre my friends on tuesday.. they will be coming over and I'll be doing the Pinoy style birthday celebration! 

But before I end this post, I'd like to thank the Lord for all the blessings he had given me... as in. I feel so loved and so special in all ways possible. I'm looking forward for more adventures and misadventures this year... I'm sure my life is about to take off... crossing fingers.. :P

My first emergency experience...

I was working on a normal day shift in my avdeling (ward), ward 4... I'm telling it's my ward now because I am the only nurse there and and responsible for 8 patients and there are 5 hjelpepleiers (LVNs) and 3 assistent (nursing assistant) under me. Well used to be two but the other one recently quit her job and got a new one in the hospital. As I was saying,  everything was going smoothly with the bedside care and giving out morning medicines. So my work phone rang and the two sentence I heard was, "Du må komme ned på avdeling 2 med en gang. Vi har an akutt situasjon her." (You have to go here at ward 2 at once. We have an acute situation here). Before I even thought of anything, I was racing down the stairs to go the that post without thinking that this is the first time I am handling something acute!  

So as I got in that ward, I searched which room I am actually needed. I went to this room of a new patient and there I saw 3 persons carrying a patient to the bed from the bathroom. I immediately saw that the patient had a CVA, right side. At first the patient was on shock as even though she was paralyzed on the left side, her arm and leg on the unaffected side were almost everywhere! I told her that we are here to help her and she should somehow calm down. She said she is having so much pain on the right side of the head as she guided my hand on the spot which is hurting. Although my first nursing instinct was to check her VS first, I ditched the idea and immediately called the doctor. :) But the problem is here in the Nursing homes, doctors are here on mondays and wednesday.. and it was a tuesday! So I called legevakt  (more like of you dial 911 and doctors will be the one answering the call... cool huh?) So anyway, I gave the details to the doctor who answered my call but she said that I should call first the primarydoctor of the patient. Good thing that doctor's number is on my mobile phone and so I ringed and told the situation. So I learned now that primary doctors are the first in line who can refer a patient for admittance in the hospital, next is the legevakt.  So then I ringed again to a special emergency department to send an ambulance at once after that. And lastly, I called the patient's family and told them about the situation and which hospital the patient will be sent to. I went back to the patient again and she started breathing heavily and started becoming cyanotic. Good thing after a few minutes, the ambulance came and rushed her to the nearest hospital. 

STRESS!! To be honest! Sounds easy? Maybe, but it's my first time.. plus I kinda struggled with the language and technical terms! How do I supposed to know these terms, when I learned them only in English??!!! Arrrrgghhh!! But you know, you'll start working with just the basic knowledge you've learned from school and the rest is learned by experience. :) And this is a good experience for me.. plus I am now more convinced that I have to buy that Medical Terms English to Norsk book and pile it up on my desk at work. Hahaha.. So there's kinda a disadvantage working in a nursing home because even though you are assigned on a certain ward, you can also be summoned to another ward, if the nurse in charge there is off or in leave, thus you are partially responsilble for all patients in the facility. That day, we are only 3 nurses for 90 patients and what if 5 patients suddenly and simultaneously had CVA or heart attack? and we are not so familiar with their cases? So anyway, that's why assessment and evaluation is so important... Do I need to send the patient to the hospital? or what? I am so excited to be actually applying my nursing knowledge and skills after 1.5 years.. I have a lot to learn, that's for sure, but I'm up to the challenge! 

Well, it's kinda fun, doing this job. It can be boring sometimes because you do the same routines everyday. But as I have learned that this job becomes only monotonous if you don't apply what you've learned about Nursing care plans... struggle with continuous care, always the ADPIE!! Long term health care are so dependent with the NCPs we nurses make for our patients. Plus you should try to give best possible nursing care and be actually an advocate for your patients. My patients are aged between 90-103 years old, demented and almost everyone sits on a wheel chair and can't do anything for themselves. Avdeling 4 is the toughest ward to work in, as what everybody says... So you have to be actually an attorney because they can't speak for themselves and tell you what they actually need. You have to think all the time that these patients' lives are on your hands.. plus think about the loved ones of these patients who, although had probably accepted long ago that their parents is gonna die anytime soon because of old age, that we, in some way treat them well and with respect.

Moss

I've been living here in Moss for over a year now and to be honest, i have not been that much around the city since I moved here from Oslo.

Ok... let me set a goal then.. this year.. I promise to go out more and tour around.. :)

My life as nurse begins..

I started working as a nurse in January and when I walked along the halls with my name tag "sykepleier" engraved on it, it was just exhilirating.. After all the hardwork, the tears and frustrations and heartaches.. I am finally here.. (sorry about that.. I am still emotional about this because I've been through a lot) I stepped inside the ward I am assigned to in high spirits and good vibes.. This is it, Rosanna (hahaha.. i hate calling myself that).. this is where the real battle begins. :)
My colleagues and subordinates welcomed me with big smiles. Isn't it that over a year ago, I was under them.. no knowledge or whatsover of what I'm dealing with, cannot speak Norwegian and being a lowly trainee with no salary and the lowest form of animal in the food -chain? hahaha To be honest I hesitate sometimes to ask them to do something for me because I am no longer used to bossing people around.. I know I am a go-getter, assertive, confident person but this time, I kinda hold myself back and think first before anything else. So, new role.. I have no problem being a nurse and all the responsibilities related to it... but the one thing I most dread about is getting along with my colleagues. You see, working in a women-dominated profession is much tougher than you think.. The politics is hardcore plus gossips and backbiting is a normal daily activity. It's really not my strongest point... my way of thinking is I came here to do my job and that's all to it. Period. Little did i know that my work as a nurse is comprised of 20% nursing tasks and 80% unnecessary chit-chat breaks, psych-wars, plotting and more plotting ang conniving! OMG... the male-influenced side of me was overwhelmed and refused to embrace this new work culture..
So the next 6 months will be exciting as it involves adjustment to the new role I have plus my colorful, gossip-filled life at work! haha